The short answer
A chimney sweep removes soot, creosote and debris from your flue so smoke and gases can vent safely. In Yorkville's older brownstones and pre-war buildings, a sweep should go with the yearly inspection that the NFPA 211 standard calls for. The best time to book is before heat season starts on October 1.
Yorkville has many working fireplaces. They sit in brownstones, rowhouses and pre-war apartment buildings, and many of them burn through a long Manhattan winter. Plenty of these chimneys are original masonry. Some share a stack with neighboring flues, and some haven't been looked at closely since the last owner. AshVanta Chimney Services is based right here in Yorkville. We sweep chimneys across ZIP codes 10028 and 10128 and in nearby Upper East Side, Carnegie Hill, Lenox Hill, Roosevelt Island and Old Astoria. Our certified technicians clean the flue, check what they find, and explain it in plain terms.
What a chimney sweep covers in a Yorkville home
A sweep is more than running a brush up the flue. Wood fires leave creosote, a tar-like deposit that builds up inside the chimney and can catch fire. Soot, nesting material and loose masonry can also narrow the flue and push smoke back into the room. Our technicians clean the full length of the flue and look closely at each part along the way.
- Brushing and vacuuming the flue, smoke chamber and smoke shelf
- Clearing the firebox and checking firebrick and mortar joints
- Checking that the damper opens, closes and seals
- Looking for blockages such as nests or fallen debris
- Checking the chimney cap and crown where we can reach them safely
- A plain-language summary of what we found and what, if anything, needs attention
Older masonry flues in brownstones and pre-war buildings
Many Yorkville homes have chimneys that are far older than the furnaces or boilers they sit next to. Brownstones and rowhouses often have several flues side by side in one stack. One may serve the parlor fireplace, another a bedroom fireplace, and another the heating system. Part of our job is to confirm which flue serves which appliance before we clean, so nothing gets missed or mixed up.
Older masonry can have cracked clay tile liners, eroded mortar joints, or no liner at all. Some of this shows up during a sweep once the soot is off and the surfaces are visible. When we see something like that, we show you what we saw and explain the options. We don't pressure you into repairs you don't need.
Why sweeping and inspection go together
The NFPA 211 standard calls for chimneys, fireplaces and vents to be inspected once a year. A clean flue is much easier to inspect, so we pair the two. Chimney professionals use three inspection levels. Level 1 applies when nothing about the system has changed. Level 2 applies when something has changed, such as a new appliance or a switch of fuel, or when the home is being sold. Level 3 applies when a hidden hazard can only be reached by opening part of the chimney or building.
Most Yorkville homeowners who use their fireplace regularly need a yearly sweep and a Level 1 inspection. If you're buying or selling a brownstone or co-op unit with a fireplace, or you've recently changed how the home is heated, a Level 2 inspection is usually the right call.
Time for your annual chimney check?
Timing around New York City's heat season
New York City's heat season runs from October 1 through May 31. During that period, building owners must keep apartments heated to the city's minimum temperatures. That makes late summer and early fall the practical window to get chimneys and heating flues cleaned and checked, before fireplaces and boilers are in steady use.
If your building is converting its boiler from oil to gas, the chimney has to be evaluated as part of that work. A new liner is often needed, because gas exhaust produces acidic condensate that can corrode a masonry flue. We can assess the flue so you know where it stands before the conversion moves ahead.
What to expect on the day
We lay down drop cloths and use vacuums to keep soot out of your living space. Please let the fireplace go cold before we arrive. In apartment buildings, it helps to tell the super or building management ahead of time, especially if we'll need roof access or a key to a shared area. Afterward, we go over the results with you and answer questions about using your fireplace safely through the season.
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